SPORTS BRIEFS

Agencies

Tue, Dec 17, 2013 - Page 18

BOXING

Boxing ban urged over death

A 16-year-old Philippine athlete died on Sunday after a week in a coma following a boxing match, triggering calls for the sport to be banned in schools, an official said yesterday. Jonas Garcia suffered internal bleeding after a boxing match in a regional sports competition. His subsequent death has sparked calls for boxing’s suspension from school sports competitions, said Tonisito Umali, assistant secretary of the Philippines’ Department of Education. “Requests are being made for the suspension of boxing. Other regions are also saying they will not continue boxing,” he said, adding that boxing would still be part of national sports events, but regional teams would not be forced to send representatives.

SOCCER

Frankfurt stun Leverkusen

Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title hopes suffered a setback on Sunday with a shock 1-0 home defeat to struggling Eintracht Frankfurt. Leverkusen, who booked their place in the Champions League last 16 last week, remain in second place, but are seven points behind league leaders Bayern Munich. Eintracht, who had not won for 10 matches, scored the only goal on the hour mark, with Marco Russ heading in a corner from Sebastian Jung. The visitors squandered an opportunity to add to their tally in the sixth minute of injury-time, but Joselu had a penalty saved by Bernd Leno. Schalke 04 eased the pressure on coach Jens Keller with a 2-0 win over SC Freiburg. Schalke, who also made the Champions League last 16, moved into sixth place after an own-goal from Nicolas Hofler and a Jefferson Farfan penalty.

SOCCER

Spurs fans harass US woman

A musical theater lover who shares the same initials as former Tottenham Hotspur coach Andre Villas-Boas is tweeting song lyrics to irate Spurs fans who deluge her with abuse. Ashley Van Buren from New York uses the Twitter name @AVB. Following Tottenham’s 5-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, she received a stream of abuse from fans of the club. However, instead of getting upset, she got even. Van Buren posted a tweet warning would-be abusers: “Reminder that I am NOT the U.K. football coach, so if you send me a death threat meant for him, I’m gonna tweet you a musical theatre lyric.” Van Buren stayed true to her word, replying to one detractor: “So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night. #SoundofMusic.” Another received: “The sun will come out tomorrow! #Annie.” Yet perhaps her most cutting riposte was to a user who wrote: “spurs are shit!!!!” to which she replied: “With hope in your heart/And you’ll never walk alone/You’ll never walk alone! #Carousel,” a reference to Liverpool’s anthem, You’ll Never Walk Alone, a tune from musical Carousel.

TENNIS

BBC awards ‘bored’ Murray

Andy Murray, the first British man in 77 years to win Wimbledon, claimed the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award on Sunday and then apologized if he sounded bored. Murray, 26, defeated Novak Djokovic in July’s Wimbledon championship match for his second career Grand Slam title. In Sunday’s awards, he beat British and Irish Lions rugby union player Leigh Halfpenny, who finished second, and horse racing jockey A.P. McCoy, who came third. Murray received the trophy from tennis legend Martina Navratilova at his training base in Miami. “No matter how excited I try to sound my voice always sounds boring — that’s just my voice, I’m sorry, I’m very excited right now. Thank you very much everyone,” he said.